First case of thrombosis after vaccination reported in Canada
But medics say the vaccine is still safe.
On Tuesday, April 13, Canada reported the first case of a rare thrombosis (vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia) that was found in a person vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Previously, because of reports of similar cases in other countries, the Canadian province continued the use of the vaccine for people under 55 years of age.
A side effect was identified in the province of Quebec in a woman whose age has not been disclosed. She is now at home and on the mend.
"Reports of blood clots with low platelet counts in people vaccinated with AstraZeneca are very rare, and this case report shows that Canada's vaccine safety monitoring system is working," Public Health Canada said in a statement. — Based on all available data, Health Canada continues to believe that the benefits of AstraZeneca and CoviShield vaccines outweigh the potential risks.
The vaccine that caused the thrombosis was produced at the Serum Institute of India and is known as CoviShield. The Institute produces its own version of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the relevant licence.
Various health organizations, including WHO, the Canadian Advisory Committee on Immunization and the European Medicines Agency, have repeatedly stated that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective, and that the protection benefits of COVID-19 are more important than the small risk of blood clots.
Leading doctors in Canada say the country is being quite cautious about the vaccine because there are alternatives. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna currently account for most of Canada's supply.
Meanwhile, despite all the claims, there is growing distrust of AstraZeneca in the country. A recent poll conducted by Angus Reid Institute found that less than half of Canadians (41%) would feel comfortable getting vaccinated with the vaccine. 54% of those surveyed would not want to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca, and 23% said they would refuse to vaccinate unless another vaccine was available. The most frequent fear was felt by women aged 34 and over. Currently, AstraZeneca vaccine accounts for 20% of the total vaccine supply in Canada.
